Work-ready skills

Technical skills

Use of specific software

Use of hardware

Creation of a portfolio, website or showreel

Working on live projects

Relevant work or volunteering experience

Your personal qualities

As well as specific skills or competencies (which are the ability to do certain things) other qualities are important for success in work and further study or perhaps in running your own business. The following list provides some details of the personal qualities that recruiters generally look for:

Motivation

Tenacity to complete tasks

Use of initiatives

Dealing with criticism

Overcoming weaknesses

Bouncing back after disappointment

Perseverance (not giving up when faced with difficulties)

Key Skills, qualifications and experience are required by a recruiter to judge your effectiveness and ability to perform in a role. If you are applying for a specific role try to put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter. Analyse the objectives, roles, tasks etc. and identify the criteria for a successful candidate. List all the skills, qualifications and experience required and compare it with your current portfolio of skills above.

It would be useful to maintain an ongoing, ‘live’ record of your skills and evidence, perhaps in an e-portfolio. That way, it is easy to make changes, update records and select evidence to suit specific applications.

These notes have provided some background to the idea of identifying key skills looked for by recruiters. The next step is to make a commitment to compete some action points. We’ve supplied some possible action points you can adopt, or you can construct your own.

Some Action Points

Keep a record of achievements (unit marks, part time jobs, prizes, internships, club membership and so on)

Use activities as a basis for creating an up to date CV and record of skills

Critically evaluate, and reflect upon, achievements in order to assess current skills (reflection is a very important intellectual habit, or discipline and will help throughout your professional life)

Use this exercise to identify any skills gaps

Analyse any opportunities being applied for in terms of the skills and qualities required as this will help the process of identifying relevant evidence to present and help with the adapting of your CV to specific roles

Use feedback from applications where possible and use it to modify your CV if necessary

Update your records where necessary

Always ask for help if needed

Creative Careers Guide is a support hub, offering advice and showcasing best techniques and practices for creative students when searching for jobs and placements within the creative industries.